I took the day off to take care of some errands, which included cleaning my bike and driving out to Clermont to pick up my registration packet, check in my bike, and attend the athlete's briefing.
I've been to 3 Ironman events, and those were complete zoos compared to this one. Of course, the Great Floridian (iron distance) and the Florida Challenge (half iron distance) attract fewer athletes - 497 for the full and 603 for the half - but there will still be over 1000 triathletes showing up for a long course event. There is also a "super sprint" going on tomorrow (267 entrants) so it will be a cross section of all kinds of triathletes. Race day will be more crowded with spectators and I'll see what I think then.
Since the long courses merge, they offer some very generous cutoffs. The iron distance gets 17:30 to finish (7:30 am to 1 am) so if you played your cards right, you could brag about how you started on one day and finished on another, thus proving your staying power and endurance. ;) The half iron starts in waves starting 45 mins after the full, and the swim course closes at 10:15 am - which gives the full a 2:45 swim cutoff, and a minimum of 1:15 for the half. (I'm in the 2nd to last half iron wave at 8:55 am so even I'll have 1:20 for the swim).
The first loop iron bike cutoff is at 2:30 pm, and if you don't make it, you can switch to the half iron on the spot. Of course, such a person would have wound up swimming 2.4 miles already, but hey, that is a nice option. However, if you don't make the 6:30 pm 2nd loop cutoff, you are done. The cutoff for the half is the same as for the full, so if you really want to get your money's worth and trot out a 17+ hour half iron, you can, as long as you exit the water on time. Apparently one aid station on the run is famous for setting up a full barbecue and bar, so the 15 hour half iron finisher may have stopped in for a meal and a few drinks.
The head referee went over the usual penalties (drafting, blocking, illegal position, unauthorized assistance) and introduced a new one: "indecent exposure". From what I understand this is an existing penalty they have decided to highlight with its own category. This isn't for people stripping in transition (there are change tents) since that is a DQ. Instead, this will be awarded to those who choose not to use the porta-potties on the run course. So if you are caught relieving yourself on a bush, expect to find your name in the penalty section with a prominent "indecent exposure" penalty. And then explain that to your friends!
I thought about my goals for this race, and I'd really like to come in under 6:30. That would be a ~45 minute swim, a ~3:15 bike, and a ~2:15 run. Of course if the weather doesn't cooperate than I'll toss that out the windows and just have a fun time. I'll still be happy if I don't make 6:30, but I'll learn from it and figure out what to work on during the off season.
Near the transition zone I saw a sign in front of a small pond.
As far as I know, USAT won't be issuing "alligator enticement" penalties at these events. That's exclusively for local law enforcement. ;)
Friday, October 21, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Wilma Update
The good news is Hurricane Wilma has slowed and current forecasts predict it offshore Cuba Sunday afternoon. Translation: weather looks good for the Saturday's events! Sommer Sports issued a brief news release that basically says things look good, except we'll need to see what the governor says/does Friday at 5:30 pm.
A few Central Florida triathletes posted a backup plan - if "we" get cancelled, "we" could do another full/half iron distance event in the Bahamas, the Grand Bahama Triathlon on November 19, since registration is still open.
Now this is an interesting event because it is longer than the usual full/half iron distance. That's right, Grand Bahama rounds up the distances, so the full is an even 150 miles total (2.8/121.4/26.2), and the half is an even 75 miles total (1.2/60.7/13.1).
Why? I guess because they can. Still, it might be handy to keep this event in mind for the future.
I'm looking forward to the half iron distance, because I have a feeling I'll like this more than the full. It should be easier to train for and less grueling to execute. Faster recovery should make it feasible for me to participate in several a year. Woohoo!
A few Central Florida triathletes posted a backup plan - if "we" get cancelled, "we" could do another full/half iron distance event in the Bahamas, the Grand Bahama Triathlon on November 19, since registration is still open.
Now this is an interesting event because it is longer than the usual full/half iron distance. That's right, Grand Bahama rounds up the distances, so the full is an even 150 miles total (2.8/121.4/26.2), and the half is an even 75 miles total (1.2/60.7/13.1).
Why? I guess because they can. Still, it might be handy to keep this event in mind for the future.
I'm looking forward to the half iron distance, because I have a feeling I'll like this more than the full. It should be easier to train for and less grueling to execute. Faster recovery should make it feasible for me to participate in several a year. Woohoo!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Triathlon Reception
Sommer Sports held a reception in Clermont for the Great Floridian and Florida Challenge athletes. I drove out since it sounded like fun. The reception was held at the Tiki Bar, which apparently is a local landmark. They provided lots of munchies from vegetable platters to pasta to cheese squares to... a chocolate fountain with strawberries, pound cake, and rice crispies. Of course I ate sensibly (and will make no comment on relative proportions)! :)
I talked to a few other athletes and conversation invariably turned to Hurricane Wilma which is predicted to pass over Florida this weekend. That is a bit inconvenient since the triathlon is Saturday.
Whenever I think of training for another IM, I get a slight uneasy feeling, like something is holding me back (above and beyond my abilities and the desire to only do it if I can realistically shave 2+ hours off my previous time) but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I realize now what that uneasy feeling is - it is reluctance in putting all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. If you train for a sprint or oly, and can't do it because of a minor injury or weather or illness or whatever, there will be another in a few weeks you can do. Not so with IM - if you can't do the event you trained for, you are out. WTC IM races are sold out so far in advance, you can't get entry into another, even if one were available in the right timeframe. The training can be so time consuming, it might not be feasible to do it again. The best you can do is somehow maintain your fitness level and regroup at a later iron distance event, since those don't typically close so early.
This was the concern I saw on a few faces at the reception, and I certainly sympathize. Some people on the forums want the race director to either cancel the event so they don't have to travel, or guarentee it will be held, which is ridiculous since the weather may force things. Others suggest cancelling the iron distance event and having everybody do the half iron; this of course is unacceptable to people who are set on doing the iron distance. What is clear is nobody wants partially shortened course in which the distance winds up being something between a half iron and a full iron.
I threw out the suggestion that if weather forces the full iron to shorten, perhaps the course could be fixed to the ITU Long Course format, which is a 4K swim, 120K bike, and 30K run. That way it should be possible to have everybody finish a few hours earlier, and beat the storm.
I feel bad for people who trained hard, if the event is cancelled. But realistically, if the hurricane comes through Clermont, people would be insane to bike and run amidst the wind, rain, and lightning. The police would probably cancel their course assistance and that would stop the event.
The good news is that it isn't all doom and gloom. Current weather forecasts show Wilma well offshore Saturday morning, and just approaching landfall late, further south on the coast. This might bring some rain at the end of the event, which would be less than ideal, but better than cancellation.
For fun, Sommer Sports printed up a bunch of small flyers:
After mingling a while I left. Everybody was pretty upbeat - after all, you can't really do much about the weather. We think we'll be lucky. ;)
I talked to a few other athletes and conversation invariably turned to Hurricane Wilma which is predicted to pass over Florida this weekend. That is a bit inconvenient since the triathlon is Saturday.
Whenever I think of training for another IM, I get a slight uneasy feeling, like something is holding me back (above and beyond my abilities and the desire to only do it if I can realistically shave 2+ hours off my previous time) but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I realize now what that uneasy feeling is - it is reluctance in putting all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. If you train for a sprint or oly, and can't do it because of a minor injury or weather or illness or whatever, there will be another in a few weeks you can do. Not so with IM - if you can't do the event you trained for, you are out. WTC IM races are sold out so far in advance, you can't get entry into another, even if one were available in the right timeframe. The training can be so time consuming, it might not be feasible to do it again. The best you can do is somehow maintain your fitness level and regroup at a later iron distance event, since those don't typically close so early.
This was the concern I saw on a few faces at the reception, and I certainly sympathize. Some people on the forums want the race director to either cancel the event so they don't have to travel, or guarentee it will be held, which is ridiculous since the weather may force things. Others suggest cancelling the iron distance event and having everybody do the half iron; this of course is unacceptable to people who are set on doing the iron distance. What is clear is nobody wants partially shortened course in which the distance winds up being something between a half iron and a full iron.
I threw out the suggestion that if weather forces the full iron to shorten, perhaps the course could be fixed to the ITU Long Course format, which is a 4K swim, 120K bike, and 30K run. That way it should be possible to have everybody finish a few hours earlier, and beat the storm.
I feel bad for people who trained hard, if the event is cancelled. But realistically, if the hurricane comes through Clermont, people would be insane to bike and run amidst the wind, rain, and lightning. The police would probably cancel their course assistance and that would stop the event.
The good news is that it isn't all doom and gloom. Current weather forecasts show Wilma well offshore Saturday morning, and just approaching landfall late, further south on the coast. This might bring some rain at the end of the event, which would be less than ideal, but better than cancellation.
For fun, Sommer Sports printed up a bunch of small flyers:
After mingling a while I left. Everybody was pretty upbeat - after all, you can't really do much about the weather. We think we'll be lucky. ;)
Sports Drinks
These days I mow right through sports drinks. I've been very happy with Powerbar Endurance, and opened up my last can today, which prompts me to make another order. My can will last several weeks (more than the previous cans did since the season is winding down) and I decided this is a good time to try some other brands.
One new one I ordered is Clif Shot Drink. I also ordered some GU2O Sports Drink. When this stuff comes in I'll give it a nice trial.
The most interesting one I decided to try is InfinIT Nutrition. The hook here is the exact formula can be tweaked. Want or need more electrolytes? Carbs? Stronger or weaker flavor? Add some protein, amino acids, caffeine? You can do all that! This of course totally fascinates me.
I first heard of InfinIT from my friend Jen, who swears by it. That made me read the website to learn more, and now I've placed a small order of my own for the lemon-lime flavor.
After creating an account, the web site guides you through a simple series of questions. Do you favor short or long course? Is your sweat salty or not? Do you like weak or strong flavor? Do you cramp or bonk? Instead of yes/no, the website presents sliders for a range of answers, and then formulates a sports drink for you.
The suggested basic formula generated doesn't have any protein, caffeine, amino acid, or anti-oxidant tweaks, and they suggest you try the basic formula for a few weeks before getting fancier. I can't wait to try it!
The only downside is that for obvious reasons, InfinIT is only available online. But that isn't a big drawback, since I order all my sports nutrition online anyway. My local stores charge $30 a can for Powerbar Endurance. Meanwhile, All3Sports charges about $35 for two cans (first one is $20 and a second is $15). That is a enormous savings over $60 for two cans (plus sales tax) that easily makes up for the shipping cost. So I don't mind ordering these items, it just means I can't let myself completely run out.
All these fancy drinks are pretty good, but every now and then I go old school and just have a glass of V8. As a recovery drink of course, V8 is too thick to drink during exercise. ;)
One new one I ordered is Clif Shot Drink. I also ordered some GU2O Sports Drink. When this stuff comes in I'll give it a nice trial.
The most interesting one I decided to try is InfinIT Nutrition. The hook here is the exact formula can be tweaked. Want or need more electrolytes? Carbs? Stronger or weaker flavor? Add some protein, amino acids, caffeine? You can do all that! This of course totally fascinates me.
I first heard of InfinIT from my friend Jen, who swears by it. That made me read the website to learn more, and now I've placed a small order of my own for the lemon-lime flavor.
After creating an account, the web site guides you through a simple series of questions. Do you favor short or long course? Is your sweat salty or not? Do you like weak or strong flavor? Do you cramp or bonk? Instead of yes/no, the website presents sliders for a range of answers, and then formulates a sports drink for you.
The suggested basic formula generated doesn't have any protein, caffeine, amino acid, or anti-oxidant tweaks, and they suggest you try the basic formula for a few weeks before getting fancier. I can't wait to try it!
The only downside is that for obvious reasons, InfinIT is only available online. But that isn't a big drawback, since I order all my sports nutrition online anyway. My local stores charge $30 a can for Powerbar Endurance. Meanwhile, All3Sports charges about $35 for two cans (first one is $20 and a second is $15). That is a enormous savings over $60 for two cans (plus sales tax) that easily makes up for the shipping cost. So I don't mind ordering these items, it just means I can't let myself completely run out.
All these fancy drinks are pretty good, but every now and then I go old school and just have a glass of V8. As a recovery drink of course, V8 is too thick to drink during exercise. ;)
Monday, October 17, 2005
Pool Visitor 2
This morning, I checked on my pool and discovered two frogs! While I do appreciate the positive word of mouth, I decided stronger measures were in order. Not only would I have to evict my surprise guests, I would transport them to one of the ponds in my subdivision. Last time, I just deposited the frog outside the screen area, and clearly that wasn't far enough for this determined amphibian - he came back and brought a friend! I really do think this pair wandered away, got lost, and selected the nearest body of water they could find.
One thing is clear: I must search my screen for a small hole. Either the frogs are smart enough to open the latch on the screen door, or they are clever enough to perform an infiltration worthy of a Navy SEAL team by slipping into the filtration control system (which is outside in an unscreened area, but this involves unscrewing a cover), or... there is a small hole in the screen (or perhaps a door jamb doesn't quite line up against the frame) which offers entry. I don't remember inviting them in.
One frog was sitting in the exact spot the one last week was in - and that may have been the same frog I tossed into my lawn. His friend had selected a sunny spot underneath the lip of the spa.
Trying to Avoid Capture
Unfortunately, the best transportation I could offer was a plastic bag. After chasing them around for 15 minutes, one at a time of course, I had trapped them both into seperate plastic bags, which I tied shut. Then, I walked these two to the farthest pond in the subdivision, near the entrance. If they come back, they really must prefer my chlorinated pH-neutral waters. Perhaps they enjoy observing Clank the robot hard at work.
Transport Bag
I reached the body of water I had in mind for them, and opened each bag. I had to shake the bag and pretty much tickle them through the bag before they jumped out. I'm sure getting tied up in a plastic bag is traumatic for the frogs, but I couldn't very well hold them in my hands. Shortly after landing on the shores of the pond, they took a giant leap in and I just know they will be happier there.
New Frog Home
Here is where I let the two frogs out.
One thing is clear: I must search my screen for a small hole. Either the frogs are smart enough to open the latch on the screen door, or they are clever enough to perform an infiltration worthy of a Navy SEAL team by slipping into the filtration control system (which is outside in an unscreened area, but this involves unscrewing a cover), or... there is a small hole in the screen (or perhaps a door jamb doesn't quite line up against the frame) which offers entry. I don't remember inviting them in.
One frog was sitting in the exact spot the one last week was in - and that may have been the same frog I tossed into my lawn. His friend had selected a sunny spot underneath the lip of the spa.
Trying to Avoid Capture
Unfortunately, the best transportation I could offer was a plastic bag. After chasing them around for 15 minutes, one at a time of course, I had trapped them both into seperate plastic bags, which I tied shut. Then, I walked these two to the farthest pond in the subdivision, near the entrance. If they come back, they really must prefer my chlorinated pH-neutral waters. Perhaps they enjoy observing Clank the robot hard at work.
Transport Bag
I reached the body of water I had in mind for them, and opened each bag. I had to shake the bag and pretty much tickle them through the bag before they jumped out. I'm sure getting tied up in a plastic bag is traumatic for the frogs, but I couldn't very well hold them in my hands. Shortly after landing on the shores of the pond, they took a giant leap in and I just know they will be happier there.
New Frog Home
Here is where I let the two frogs out.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Rice Volleyball
By sheer luck I noticed the Rice women's volleyball team was in town to play UCF. I guess I haven't been paying attention but I was surprised to find Rice in a new conference. Last I saw we were in the WAC!
I enjoy watching the games and in Seattle I would attend a few Husky volleyball games with friends. I had never seen my alma mater play, so I attended. Admissions was free if you brought canned goods to donate for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, so I also was able to finally unpack a cardboard box sitting in the dining room. ;)
I got to the UCF Arena and quickly found the other two Rice fans. We were outnumbered about 200 to 1 or more, but cheered diligently for the Owls. The match went to 5 games and Rice won the last one decisively. Yes!!
My undergrad college (Houston) is also in Conference USA, and their women's volleyball team is here on Sunday. I might attend that as well, and try to make it out to watch football and baseball games.
I enjoy watching the games and in Seattle I would attend a few Husky volleyball games with friends. I had never seen my alma mater play, so I attended. Admissions was free if you brought canned goods to donate for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, so I also was able to finally unpack a cardboard box sitting in the dining room. ;)
I got to the UCF Arena and quickly found the other two Rice fans. We were outnumbered about 200 to 1 or more, but cheered diligently for the Owls. The match went to 5 games and Rice won the last one decisively. Yes!!
My undergrad college (Houston) is also in Conference USA, and their women's volleyball team is here on Sunday. I might attend that as well, and try to make it out to watch football and baseball games.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Pool Visitor
This morning I was out checking on the pool, and I discovered I had a visitor! See my visitor below, enjoying the current from the spa?
Pool Visitor
Here is a closer shot. Notice how the frog has strategically selected the shady section to enjoy.
Shady Spot
Unfortunately, I cannot welcome a frog into my pool. After all, my Home Owner's Association might complain my pool isn't properly zoned for a frog subdivision. And, there isn't any food for the frog in the pool. Plus, I can't believe the water is good for frogs, since I dump acid and chlorine in it all the time. I'm sure this one wandered inside the enclosure and couldn't figure out how to leave, and in the meantime, he or she decided to cool off.
So, I pulled out the leaf skimmer and moved in to trap the frog, who promptly leapt out into the main section and hid against a wall. After a few tries, I netted this nervous amphibian, and transported him outside my screened patio.
I hope this frog is from the small lake in the subdivision, and will perhaps find a way to reunite with all his friends which undoubtedly miss him or her.
Pool Visitor
Here is a closer shot. Notice how the frog has strategically selected the shady section to enjoy.
Shady Spot
Unfortunately, I cannot welcome a frog into my pool. After all, my Home Owner's Association might complain my pool isn't properly zoned for a frog subdivision. And, there isn't any food for the frog in the pool. Plus, I can't believe the water is good for frogs, since I dump acid and chlorine in it all the time. I'm sure this one wandered inside the enclosure and couldn't figure out how to leave, and in the meantime, he or she decided to cool off.
So, I pulled out the leaf skimmer and moved in to trap the frog, who promptly leapt out into the main section and hid against a wall. After a few tries, I netted this nervous amphibian, and transported him outside my screened patio.
I hope this frog is from the small lake in the subdivision, and will perhaps find a way to reunite with all his friends which undoubtedly miss him or her.
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